NOVEL FROG Chapter 149
Ah… uck…
Heavy five fingers digging in above the pelvis. A broad, solid chest felt along the spine.
This unfamiliar sensation she had never experienced left Jin Yeseo utterly bewildered.
Straining hard, she anxiously looked up at the man wearing a gas mask.
He was completely ignoring Jin Yeseo, engaged in a conversation with the old man.
“Of course, a man should do that. He ought to protect his own woman, right?”
“…That’s right.”
…?
Jin Yeseo tilted her head in confusion.
The old man’s words were excessively antiquated and utterly irrelevant in the wizarding community.
However, for some reason, the man’s reply echoed with a lonely resonance.
“The lady is quite fortunate. To have such a man as a partner, how reassuring.”
Without even a moment to consider why, the old man’s satisfied smile turned back toward Jin Yeseo.
Jin Yeseo contemplated her response. Naturally, at first, she only wanted to instantly rebut that nonsensical statement.
But the earlier comment from the man gripped her ankle.
‘Who is really helping whom…they’re only a hindrance…’
Having already mentioned that he was her husband, the old man was obviously taking it for granted.
In such a situation, it was clear that denying him would create an odd atmosphere.
On the contrary, she could end up treated suspiciously.
After all, she couldn’t help but feel that despite bravely following, she wasn’t providing any substantial help.
At least her knowledge about the heresy she had shared could have been easily discovered by him with his own abilities.
In such a situation, if she couldn’t offer help and ended up being a nuisance instead…
“W-well, that’s, um…”
In the end, Jin Yeseo could only manage an awkward expression that didn’t fit the circumstances.
“Isn’t that right? But why does your expression look like that? Why are you sweating so much? Is there somewhere that hurts, hmm?”
It seemed the old man misunderstood Jin Yeseo’s forced smile for something else.
“Oh, no…there’s nothing wrong…”
“Well, in this environment, it’s strange to be normal in the first place.”
He then clicked his tongue and reached a conclusion on his own.
“Look at this smog and pollution. It seems to be getting worse every day. These days, every time I cough, it’s at the point of blood coming out. Even if it’s an industrial city, there should be some limits.”
He lamented while shaking his head at the street hidden behind orange-tinted pollution.
“Where are you from?”
“Came up from the south looking for work. There wasn’t a decent place in the capital.”
“Tsk tsk, your situation is quite evident. Because of that uproar in Jinryeong, there are plenty of people seeking refuge here. Those wizards, what do they even do besides strutting around!”
“…”
Unlike Jin Yeseo, who was growing uncomfortable with the old man’s rambling, the man remained unperturbed.
“Maybe I should just throw myself into a dark mage cult?”
-Old man, you’re too old and worn out! With no vigor, what are you even…
“Hey! What kind of slander is that? If you knew how much my wife loves me, you wouldn’t say such things!”
His exclamation filled the cramped shop with chuckles.
“Ahem. Anyway, welcome. You won’t be here long, so make sure to earn some money and get out. If you head to the plaza in the morning, you’ll find work.”
After coughing a couple of times, the old man turned his gaze back to the man.
“Just make sure not to go near the outskirts. Avoid wandering around late at night as much as you can.”
“Why’s that?”
“The peace of the city is getting worse by the day. Behind that orange smog, all sorts of rumors are swirling. There are more than a few who’ve drunkenly stumbled into the mist, never to be seen again. There are also reports of strange beastly cries.”
The old man spoke with a slightly serious tone, wiping away the previous humor.
“Occasionally, blood-red water flows back from the sewers. It’s already commonplace to find bodies consumed by something. Everyone’s whispering that some plot is unfolding down below, but no one has the guts to confirm it. What kind of power do insensitives like us have? The Security Bureau doesn’t care about the lower class…”
After the old man had finally opened his mouth, it took several minutes for him to collect himself again.
“Oh, I did it again… I’m sorry. When you get old, you just have more to say…”
The old man finished with an embarrassed expression as the conversation wrapped up.
The man in the gas mask sent Jin Yeseo out first, exchanged a few more words with the old man, and then stepped outside.
“Why does he dislike wizards so much? I’m disappointed. Even if he’s lowborn, he doesn’t seem like a bad person.”
Jin Yeseo followed behind him, her voice tinged with a bit of grievance.
“If we weren’t here, this country would have perished long ago. The fact that we’re out here taking requests is a dedication to the nation. No matter how much of a joke it is, how can he casually say he’d throw himself into a dark magic cult…”
“…It’s not that they are outright evildoers. Every person envies what they don’t have. And even if they can’t compare to a wizard, anyone can willingly become a dark mage…”
The man’s voice remained steady.
“…That’s quite generous of you. If a successor from the five families displays such thoughts, you might get suspected. So does that mean if that old man becomes a dark mage, you’d let him live?”
“Of course, I’d have to kill him. But first, I’d torture him to extract what I can.”
Jin Yeseo was left speechless by the bizarre reply, as she struggled to understand his state of mind.
Unlike the typical notion of being chosen by a god, which merely reflects the innate talent of a wizard, anyone with will can easily follow the path of dark magic.
All one needs to do is forcibly inject magic into their body and endure the backlash.
Of course, nine out of ten of those who receive magic either become mutants or madmen, or have their bodies collapse under the strain.
Yet, perhaps due to the increasingly grim life, the number of dark mages isn’t decreasing; in fact, it was increasing day by day.
“…”
Lost in thought, Jin Yeseo mulled over the man’s words.
Even she, born as the daughter of a distinguished family with nothing lacking, was hanging onto the cycle magic she couldn’t attain.
To the point where she would willingly risk being held over the edge by the man before her.
“…Do you have something you can’t obtain?”
“…”
The man, who had taken the lead, came to an abrupt stop.
He slightly turned his head to look at Jin Yeseo.
“What’s… what is it?”
Though hidden by the gas mask, for some reason she felt as if his gaze was directed not at her eyes but at her darkened hair.
“…I do.”
‘Another…’
After a long silence, the man spat out a short reply in a tone that felt lonely once more.
Somehow, Jin Yeseo recalled the sensation of his hand from earlier.
It felt gentle, in complete contrast to his usual roughness.
‘Of course he ought to do that. He should protect his own woman, right?’
The voice of the old man, who had been wearing a warm smile.
It was the sensation of being protected by someone for the very first time in her life.
Though it was forcibly given.
‘…’
A strange feeling enveloped Jin Yeseo for a moment. What was clear was that it was certainly not a negative emotion.
‘No, no! What am I thinking?’
However, Jin Yeseo quickly shook her head and hurriedly rid herself of his influence.
“Stop being so dramatic. And who told you to grab someone else’s waist like that? Do you know how shocked I was earlier?”
She glared at the man with a pout, continuing her late protest.
“You were the one who said not to touch me on your own…”
“I could hold on for a little, so that much is fine.”
“Huh?”
Jin Yeseo made a dumbfounded expression at his excuse, which didn’t sound like an excuse at all.
“Perfectly timed. If we appear like that, it’s actually a good thing. While we’re in this city, we should act as a married couple.”
“Who says we can do that…”
Jin Yeseo started to speak but then clamped her mouth shut.
She recalled what the man had said to her the other day.
Given that he had made that decision, it was clear she had no choice in the matter.
“Haah…”
With a sigh, she barely managed to suppress her complaints.
“…So, where are we going now? Another store?”
“No need to stop at another place. I’ve already heard everything worth hearing from the old man.”
The man responded while leading the way down the alley.
“I’m planning to focus on the places the old man mentioned. Since it’s too late today, we’ll start tomorrow.”
“You were told it’s dangerous, right?”
“Yeah. Just feels off. I hope it’s nothing serious…”
The man stopped short in the middle of his sentence.
He looked down at a sewer manhole, lost in thought.
Then he raised his head and scanned the surroundings.
The orange smog still filled the air, obscuring the landscape. Only the shadow of a massive factory smokestack, spewing smoke, could be faintly seen.
There were no sounds of birds or wind here. Only the echo of metal and machinery combined to create a disturbing noise.
Listening to the old man’s words, the sharp sounds did indeed seem eerie, like the cries of beasts.
“…That’s enough. I can look into the rest tomorrow.”
The man resumed walking. He stopped in front of a shabby inn, its old neon sign flickering.
He had exchanged a few words with the old man, probably about finding lodging. Jin Yeseo had indeed been thinking about that too.
However, after seeing the appalling exterior, Jin Yeseo couldn’t help but let out a deep sigh.
“I’d rather sleep outside…”
The red and dark light emitted by the bulb, the dust-covered shelves, the big, dead insects scattered about, and the odor that tickled her nose.
Even the quarters of the servants back home couldn’t possibly be this bad.
“Haah…”
But a poor couple looking for work in the city couldn’t afford a luxurious hotel.
Although, such places had never been visible to them anyway.
“Still, I’ll have some time alone…”
Just when Jin Yeseo was trying to muster some positive thoughts, something unexpected happened.
“The key can be returned tomorrow morning when you leave… so have a peaceful night.”
“Thank you.”
The man’s voice exchanged a pleasant greeting with the plump landlady, followed by the jingle of keys.
“Hey. Give me my room key. The one we got here is the best one, right?”
However, when Jin Yeseo turned away, she couldn’t continue her sentence.
She had furrowed her brow in confusion.
For some reason, there was only one key in the man’s hand.
“…?”
It took Jin Yeseo a few seconds to grasp the meaning of the scene.
*
Woooosh… drip… drip…
The cramped, old bathroom was filled with steam.
The girl with black hair was crouched down, dipping her body in the bathtub.
Perhaps due to the heat, her cheeks and ears had turned bright red.
After a while of spacing out, she suddenly shot up and exited the tub.
“…I did it.”
Standing in the midst of the steam, she gazed at herself in the mirror.
Eyes shaking as if there were an earthquake, her face filled with fear of what was to come.
“…I’m sure. It was definitely on purpose. For sure…”
Jin Yeseo murmured with conviction.
Each step fell perfectly into place.
Originally, she would have never been caught off guard in such a shabby place.
However, due to the commotion at the restaurant earlier, she reeked of cheap food and alcohol.
There was no way she could rest while coated in filth.
Forced in under the guise of consideration by the man, she had been pushed into the bathroom against her will.
And thus began the charade of pretending to be a poor couple.
That just being a couple implies sharing a single room felt like a high blessing.
“…”
Jin Yeseo gazed into the mirror again.
As the steam gradually cleared, her bare body was fully revealed.
Snow-white skin, a striking height due to her mixed heritage, a shapely waistline, and two blossoms blooming in soft pink.
One could hardly say it was anything less than a beautiful work of art.
Though she found the lustful gazes of men repugnant, she couldn’t entirely dismiss the source of their admiration.
And right now, there was a man yearning for that priceless piece of art just outside the door.
“Ugh…”
Jin Yeseo carefully traced the dark red bruise below her navel with her fingers.
It was the area she had been struck repeatedly during their sparring.
No matter how much she rubbed, it wouldn’t fade. If anything, the sensation became even more pronounced.
Like a slave’s branding, as if she was owned by someone.
“I was too naïve…”
The purity of a female wizard is a significant weapon and a valuable bargaining chip.
However, within the relationship between the man and her, such notions meant nothing.
Right now, Jin Yeseo was utterly defenseless. Her family’s power and the rules of the cradle didn’t exist here. Not to mention that he was an opponent she couldn’t handle on her own.
In other words, this was an unprecedented opportunity for him to take her without any interference.
Jin Yeseo was gripped by fear at the unfamiliar sensation she was encountering for the first time.
Why had she followed him? Perhaps even the firm rejections were part of a cunning scheme to stir her allure.
“…Isn’t he waiting just outside the door…? The moment I step out, he’ll…”
Jin Yeseo tightly shut her eyes. But there was no way to avoid the destined future.
Ultimately, she resigned herself and murmured in a voice filled with despair.
“Well then, at least… I can’t let my appearance fall to shambles…”
No matter what, she didn’t want to show herself in a degrading manner.
Jin Yeseo desperately racked her brains. She couldn’t help but blame her past self, who had shown no interest in this area.
She tried to recall the indecent talk she overheard among her friends for inspiration.
Suddenly, an idea sparked in her mind, and she lowered her head, staring blankly at the ground.
“Maybe I should… tidy up a bit… seems a little messy… No, no, no…”
But she quickly snapped back to her senses and glared fiercely at her reflection in the mirror.
“What foolish thoughts… Pull yourself together, Jin Yeseo…”
Then, in a damp voice, she spoke to herself, steeling her resolve.
“I’m sorry, Baek Seoyeon… but I guess this is where it ends for me…”
If she was going to be taken anyway, it would be best to get it over with quickly. Showing a weak side would only play into the hands of that cruel man.
As she thought this, Jin Yeseo grabbed the doorknob with trembling hands.
With her eyes tightly shut and a towel wrapped around her body, she stepped outside.
Hik…
Even the rug beneath her toes felt unbearably sensitive.
Her blocked vision heightened her imagination. She felt as if something would spring out to rip her apart at any moment.
“…?”
However, no matter how much time passed, nothing alarming happened.
Thus, Jin Yeseo slowly opened her tightly shut eyes with a perplexed expression.
The dark room revealed no sign of movement.
“Haah…”
Glancing around, her eyes finally drifted toward the window, and she gasped.
There he was, seated in the chair by the window, staring outside.
“…Hey. What are you doing…?”
“…”
Seeing him, Jin Yeseo spoke hesitantly.
“Hey, hey…”
“…”
His silence persisted as Jin Yeseo swallowed hard, slowly approaching him.
Even when she stood right before him, he remained perfectly still.
Jin Yeseo crouched down to see him more closely.
“…”
His masked face remained firmly in the gas mask.
And the only sounds audible were the steady, calm breaths of the man.
“Uh, uh…?”
Seeing this, Jin Yeseo’s face turned pale with panic.
“…”
A moment later.
Crouching in place, Jin Yeseo hung her head.
“I-I’ll have my revenge… how dare you…”
Her face flushed bright red with humiliation and shame. Her hands were trembling uncontrollably.
Big tears welled up in her eyes.
It didn’t take long for Jin Yeseo to grasp the meaning behind his breaths.
The man had already fallen deeply asleep.